The Coldest Summer✓

Twenty-One

"Did you get to kiss him?" Sam sits straight in my bed, ready to hear the nonexistent scoop.

"Why would I kiss him?" I chuckle, for it's pretty insane.

Well, at least for my case with Malik as I'm already preoccupied and charmed by the cowboy.

"You didn't?" Sam pouts.

"No! Stop being silly, Samantha Ford!" I scold as it's a bit annoying.

"Gosh, you need to stop being a nun. I can get you a form to join the convent if you want." She laughs, arching my eyebrows in wonder. "I mean, when will you get laid already? Until you get married?"

"I don't know." I sigh heavily, fed up with this same old speech.

"Ugh, you're being boring now!" Sam grunts. "I'm always the one who talks about men, and you say nothing. Do you have a problem, maybe? Are you a les—"

"Sam, stop!" I yell.

"Woah." She winces back, one one eyebrow raised up at me.

I take a deep breath, fixing my composure. "I don't want to talk about sex . . . or men. And I'm pretty certain of my sexuality, so just . . . let's not talk about that, okay?"

Rattled, Sam raises her hands in surrender. "As you wish, ma'am."

"I'm sorry for yelling. But you're just too stubborn and it's getting on my nerves." I sigh tiredly.

"No, I'm not. But I'll soon find you a boyfriend, and your sexual frustration will be over," Sam says with a confident grin.

"Just great," I mutter under my breath, thinking of the 'sexual frustration' she's stubbornly referring to.

Perhaps I am frustrated.

"And what are these?" Sam finally sees what I brought from Big Sky.

"Just some items I bought."

"Let's see." She sits up and starts rummaging through the shopping bags. "Yes! Now we're talking." Her eyes are shining brighter as she throws everything on the bed.

Leaving Sam to her endeavor, I quickly send Malik a 'thank you' text, which he returns with 'Pleasure' and several blushing emojis. I smile gently while depositing my mobile aside.

"That's for Eleanor. Do you think she'll like it?" I ask Sam when she inspects the silver bracelet I bought from a famous local artisan when Malik and I run into his store.

"Thank you Mom?" Sam reads the artistic letters engraved on it. "Kira, don't you think you're getting too attached? Will you be okay when we leave?" She looks worried.

Well . . . I don't know.

"I don't think I'll be totally okay, but I'll be very sorry if I don't use this little chance heaven's given us. I only did what I would've done if my mother was alive." I smile fondly at the thought.

"Of course, who wouldn't wish for a mother like her? I'm sure Eleanor will love this," Sam replies and I'm glad we're on the same page.

"Hopefully," I quip, my lips tight.

Sam starts questioning me about my little getaway with Malik, and I still don't understand why she is so convinced that he has a thing for me. The poor guy has never shown me any sign of the sort, and yet I can't stop hearing Sam's nonsense since day one.

Anyways, I deeply hope she's imagining things because I'm not up for another drama. This one soap opera of a love triangle is already a headache, and certainly enough for a lifetime.